Abstract 6304: Targeting HIF2a with siRNA: From preclinical models to the clinic
Authors: Yuanqing Ma, Christina Stevens, Olivia Brandenburg, Vanina Toffessi Tcheuyap, Quyen N. Do, Faeze Saatchi, Tanner Hardy, Oluwatomilade Fatunde, Alyssa Macchiaroli, Jeffrey Miyata, Deyssy Carrillo, Thomas Schluep, So Wong, Alana Christie, Payal Kapur, Ivan Pedrosa, James Hamilton, James Brugarolas
Journal: Cancer Research (2022)

Abstract Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF2a) is arguably the most important driver of kidney cancer. HIF2a is constitutively activated following von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene inactivation, the signature event of the most common type of kidney cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). HIF2a functions as a heterodimeric transcription factor and regulates a program of gene expression that promotes cell proliferation, stemness, and angiogenesis. Using a highly specific inhibitor designed to target a structural vulnerability in HIF2a (PT2399), we previously showed that approximately 50% of ccRCCs are dependent on HIF2a. However, prolonged drug exposure results in resistance and the acquisition of gatekeeper mutations, which we reported first in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and subsequently in humans. Using the same PDX platform that previously validated PT2399, we show that HIF2a can be effectively inhibited using a tumor-directed siRNA (siHIF2). Referring herein to both first- and second-generation (ARO-HIF2) siRNA drugs, siHIF2 is specifically taken up by human ccRCC tumors transplanted in mice, where it depletes HIF2a inhibiting target gene expression and tumor growth. Through orthogonal RNA-seq studies integrating both PT2399 and siHIF2 in PDXs, we provide unprecedented detail on the HIF2a effector transcriptome, which we further dissect by incorporating ChIP-seq. A PDX line was generated from a ccRCC patient who had paraneoplastic polycythemia (a HIF2a dependent syndrome due to erythropoietin [Epo] secretion by the tumor) and participated in the phase I trial of ARO-HIF2 (NCT04169711). We show that siHIF2 effectively depleted HIF2a in both the PDX as well as in the patient, that it normalized Epo (and hemoglobin), and that it inhibited tumor growth. siHIF2 has activity against both wild-type and drug-resistant mutant HIF2a and is expected to be active in patients progressing on PT2977 (belzutifan), a PT2399-related drug recently approved by the FDA. To our knowledge, this is the first example of functional inactivation of an oncoprotein with a tumor-directed siRNA in humans. In summary, these studies provide unique insight into HIF2a (the only known core dependency in ccRCC), illustrate how it can be effectively inhibited by an siRNA drug, and establish a paradigm for the development of tumor directed siRNA-based therapeutics. Citation Format: Yuanqing Ma, Christina Stevens, Olivia Brandenburg, Vanina Toffessi Tcheuyap, Quyen N. Do, Faeze Saatchi, Tanner Hardy, Oluwatomilade Fatunde, Alyssa Macchiaroli, Jeffrey Miyata, Deyssy Carrillo, Thomas Schluep, So Wong, Alana Christie, Payal Kapur, Ivan Pedrosa, James Hamilton, James Brugarolas. Targeting HIF2a with siRNA: From preclinical models to the clinic [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6304.